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Naval Forces of the Imperium
"To Cleanse the Stars" The Motto of the Imperial Navy =Introduction= The Imperial Navy is the premier service of the Imperial Armed Forces. It safeguards the borders of the Imperium, as well as ensures that the space lanes are safe and free of piracy. =General Doctrine= The Imperium generally favours a clear distinction between carriers and big gun warships, with the exception of Astartes warships such as the Battle Barges and the Strike Cruisers. Most major warships such as the Retribution class Battleships and Lunar class Heavy cruisers instead devote a portion of their weapon systems to space missile defence systems to fend off enemy strike craft and enemy missiles. The Scutum space defence system was designed as the premier space defence system for warships, much like the ancient Nova Terran S-500 and STAR air defence systems which defended warships against air attack. Each battleline is expected to be centered around a heavy warship such as a heavy cruiser, and then escorted by cruisers or destroyers, and then frigates and corvettes are expected to act as pickets. Carriers are also in the center of the formation and fighters will perform reconnaissance and strike duties. General doctrine is different for Astartes warships, which technically operate outside of Naval command but rather under their own individual Astartes Legion commands. Each legion has 4 frigates, 4 destroyers, 2 Strike cruisers and 1 Battle Barge. Obviously, the Battle Barge is a high value warship and is only deployed to locations where their immerse firepower demand it. Otherwise, the frigates, destroyers and Strike cruisers are usually deployed to most trouble spts, though the frigates are expected to accompany for fire support missions. Astartes in general attack high priority targets where their sheer firepower and speed are required. The Imperium in general favours big gun warships, backed by defensive intelligent missiles which are much cheaper than fighters, yet fulfilling their function. Carriers may allow for long range power projection, but they lack the ability to be autonomous in deep space. Moreover, significant numbers of aircraft are required to assert long range power projection, and fighters themselves have limited warp drive capability. The Imperium instead favours missile defence systems, and the the Scutum space defence system is the embodiment of this belief. =General Procurement= The Imperial Navy's warships are designed to be tough and durable and to last. Ships are built to the highest demand on quality and durability. Ship systems are extremely redundant, yet easily replaced. As such, after the Great Crusade, many of the ships in the Imperial Navy were mothballed and placed under storage and guard. Some of these ships have been returned to duty after long and lengthy refits which will often see entire superstructures replaced and major ship systems updated and replaced. The ships are effectively as good as new. Examples of these are the Dominator class supercarriers, which were originally battleships in the Great Crusade, but were radically refitted to become massive supercarriers. Large internal hanger space, long flight deck, excellent armor over vital spaces, and excellent aircraft handling are hallmarks of this class. New ships are of course still in construction in the many shipyards across the Imperium, especially the generally newer Scutum class cruisers, and Sol class carriers, tasked with providing fleet wide defence and reconnaissance. These ships are part of the general fleet wide improvement program. The Imperium's general pursuit of exotic technologies has generally resulted in ships with few big gun armament, but each individual weapon is immersely powerful, especially the Warp gun, which fires energies produced straight from a rift power generator. Plasma weapons are favored because of their ability to cut through hull armor. Tachyon guns or lasguns are normally used for point defence. Missile weapons are generally used for defence and offense. =Naval facilities= The Imperium's naval shipyards and repair yards are operated under the auspices of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Typically found above Forge Worlds, the shipyards provide the necessary infrastructure for the support of the fleet. Various orbital manufactoriums and ground manufactoriums produce the necessary parts and equipment required to build the building blocks of each ship. Modular construction is favoured and the Imperium utilizes the most advanced construction techniques available. Naval bases are found typically at sector capital worlds. Space dock facilities are found above any Imperium world, be it colony or no. Naval bases are the site of Naval Sector Command where the necessary C4ISTAR operations are provided for. A sector's defence is centered at the sector capital where ships will readily deploy to face any threats when they are detected. The Imperium has a network of sensor stations deployed throughout the border. These provide a first line of defence against invaders, and constant communication and patrol by corvettes and frigates to support these stations are maintained daily. =Navy Organisation= Naval Command Naval Command is divided into 4 commands: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western command. Of the 4 commands, the Southern is the smallest, centered at Terra. The Southern, Eastern and Western commands are each led by the Stratego Primus. Sector Commands Each Sector Command has its own coast guard that patrols the space lanes. Each sector command has its own shipyards and repair yards, to support the Imperial Navy elements stationed in the sector. Naval Shipyards Mars and Jupiter Shipyards Largest collection of shipyards throughout the Imperium. These are where the great Battle Barges and Battleships are built. They are also the oldest shipyards in the Imperium, with massive capacity for the construction of civilian and military ships. A vast collection of orbiting manufactoriums, with more ground based manufactoriums on Mars, Io and Europa and Calisto churn out considerable war materiel and supplies for the Imperium's armies and navy. Mars is also the headquarters of the Adeptus Mechanicus, with the premier design centers based there, though the most illustrious university in the Imperium remains the University of Constantinople on Terra itself. Actium The Antioch sector's major shipyard, it is the second largest shipyard in the Imperium, together with the shipyards at Sevastopol and Athens. In terms of capability, it is more than capable of constructing many of the largest ships of the Imperium, excepting the Battle Barges and the Battleships. Sevastopol A similar sized shipyard to the Actium and similar in terms of capability and capacity. Athens A similar sized shipyard to the Actium and similar in terms of capability and capacity. =Naval Warship classes= Stealth Ships Aquila MK XI class Stealth ship Cost: 1 for 20 points A small stealth craft for stealth insertion, it might not be as large as the USS spycrafts, but the Imperium favours small craft that have low energy emissions to allow for stealthy insertion of espionage units etc. The Imperium might work on larger stealth spacecraft in the future, but currently, given how the Karlacks operate, there has been little impetus to do so. Fighters and Gunships Lightning BNF-16 Starfighter Cost: 4 for $1 Designed for atmospheric and space operations, this space superiority fighter is designed to defend the fleet, perform reconnaissance, and to clear the way for bombers. Nova BNFB-17 Starfighter-bomber Cost: 2 for $1 Designed for atmospheric and space operations, this fighter-bomber is designed to perform light bombing operations, as well as ground combat support. It is also an excellent anti-starfighter aircraft, with the weaponry to take down gunboats. Tachyonic BNF-18 Heavy Interceptor Cost: 2 for $1 Designed for atmospheric and space operations, this heavy interceptor has the onerous job of intercepting enemy anti-ship missiles, or intercepting bombers. Built for speed, they are simply put, a small cockpit with a huge strapped on engine. Supernova BNB-14 Bomber Cost: 1 for $1 Designed for heavy bombing of ultraheavy combatants and below, the bomber also carries substantial ECM/ECCM, and sensor stealthing to ensure they can approach their targets, and prevent enemy starships from tracking destroying their torpedoes. Naval Warships Apocalypse class Battleships No. of Ships: Cost: '' ''Apocalypse '' ''Because they defied the will of the God Emperor Apocalypse Because they will feel the vengeance of the God Emperor Apocalypse Because it will be the last thing they will see Before they feel the wrath of the God Emperor And the end of their world. Retribution class Battleships No. of Ships: 4 (4000 points) Cost: 1000 points '' '' Main Armament: 16 x general purpose torpedo launchers, 1 x 1 MK XI Nova Cannon, 12 x 2 MK X Warp Battery, 36 x 2 MK XVI SuperNova Plasma Battery (2x gun barrels each), 72 x 4 MK XVII Photon Lance, MKXX Bolter/Tachyon PD, Scutum Space Defence System, Kinetic Impactor batteries Ship Names: Gloria Magnificat, Excelsis Deo, Titanicus, Solarion Overview One of the largest classes of ships ever constructed in the galaxy, the Retribution class Battleship is the product of the Imperium's desire to achieve a more even footing when fighting the Collectors. Largely built at the Mars and Jupiter Shipyards, the Retribution class Battleships took nearly a decade to build and commission. Thus far, the Retribution class Battleships have acquited themselves well in battle, engaging in duels with Karlack World Eaters, which are equal to the Retribution class in firepower. The Imperium has never shied away from deploying its most valued and prized vessels, throwing them into the thick of fighting if necessary. "What's the point of building such huge ships if you don't use them to bludgeon the enemy to death? A blade is only as useful as one uses it," Rus Komnenos was quoted saying. Weapon Systems The weapon systems array of these ships is impressive. A single battleship is armed with massive Warp lances, and an array of plasma lances and photon lances. Each ship can unleash a furious broadside that could cripple most vessels. In addition, each battleship is protected by a Scutum space defence system, consisting of an array of defensive point defence guns and missiles and sensors all linked and coordinated by artificial intelligences. Missiles range from anti-missile missiles, to heavy anti-capital ship missiles. The ships have massive power conduits to fuel its powerful main cannons, with the capacity to devote all power to the forward guns, or to the main shields. The nova cannon is the longest in the Imperial arsenal, accelerating charges massing tens of thousands of tonnes to relativistic velocities or even superluminal velocities depending on the type of munition. Torpedo launchers are standard issue on any Imperial vessels. Kinetic Impactors round up the vessels' weaponry, allowing it to discharge any orbital bombardment duties. Armor The battleship's armor and shielding are also the strongest in the Imperium, comparable to the Konstantin class Battle Barges. Armor consists of meters thick spaced neutronium alloy armor, an absorptive energy matrix layer and an ablative matrix layer. Void shields are multi-layered, and capable of withstanding incredible levels of energies. Command and Control As expected of a warship that is meant to be deployed as a flagship, a Retribution class battleship has a fairly extensive communication suite, from normal space communications, to Warp communications. Astropaths and psychic choirs have access to large psychic amplifier to allow for galactic wide communication. Power The power system consists of 4 massive Rift Power Generators, together with an assortment of high energy Acretion Disk fusion generators, and antimatter reactors to provide secondary power. The ships are driven by gravitic impellor drives, and an inertial damping system reduces the mass of the ship, allowing it to traverse space effortlessly and display incredible acceleration. A marvel of Imperial engineering, the ships continue to serve as flagships of the 4 naval commands for over a century, and likely will for centuries to come. Improved Retribution class Battleships No. of Ships: 0 Cost: points Existing Retribution class battleships are undergoing an upgrade program to improve their existing weapons array and their armor. All systems will be replaced. The project is expected to last 4-6 years. After which, they will emerge from the drydocks significantly improved compared to prior the upgrade. Lunar class Heavy Cruisers Number of Ships: 4 ships (2600 points) Cost: 650 points '' '' Main Armament: 8 x general purpose torpedo launchers, 1 x 1 MK XI Nova Cannon, 6 x 2 MK X Warp Battery, 24 x 2 MK XVI SuperNova Plasma Battery (2x gun barrels each), 48 x 4 MK XVII Photon Lances, MK XX Bolter/Tachyon PD, Scutum Space Defence System, Kinetic Impactors The Lunar class heavy cruisers started entering service over the last decade. New ships to replace the older heavy cruisers in the fleet, these ships are meant to serve as fleet flagships when the battleships are not present. Boasting a fairly powerful armament, they are equals to many a rival battleship. Production of these ships are ongoing, and likely an improved ship variant will emerge from the shipyards in the coming years. Dominator class Supercarrier Number of Ships: 2 (1200 points) Cost: 600 points Main Armament: 300 points of Starfighter/Gunships, MK XX Tachyon/Bolter PD The Dominator class supercarriers are largely converted versions of the old Dominator class heavy cruisers that served in the Great Crusade. After spending over a century of service, many of these ships were sent for a thorought refit and were converted to carriers. Conversions are ongoing, and these ships are typically escorted by Scutum cruisers. Scutum class Cruisers Number of Ships: 39 ships (11700 points) Cost: 300 points Main Armament: Scutum Space Defence System (200 points), 2 x 2 MKX Warp Battery 8 x 2 MK XVI SuperNova Plasma battery, 16 x 4 MK XVII Lance gun, MK XX Bolter/Tachyon PD The main work horse vessel of the Imperial Navy, these ships are the primary escort warships and also one of the most numerous. Their Scutum Space Defence System forms the main part of their armament, both serving as an anti-missile/starfighter system, as well as anti-ship. Production is ongoing and these ships are expected to serve for many decades. The ships were largely a response to the onslaught of swarm tactics employed by the Karlacks, as well as to deal with the rise of the use of starfighters and missiles against Imperial capital ships. Carrying large banks of vertical launch cells containing missiles of 3 sizes, LSM-1, SM-1 and HSC-1, these ships form a vanguard against a swarming enemy, raining intelligent missiles against them and intercepting incoming missiles. HSC-1 missiles are large missiles designed to attack capital ships. Sol class Carriers Number of Ships: 9 (2700 points) Cost: 300 points Main Armament: 150 points of Starfighter/Gunships, MK XX Tachyon/Bolter PD Relatively low cost carrier, the Sol class is meant to deliver starfighters to support army operations, as well as acting as a home base for starfighters which will perform various roles for the fleet. While the construction rate of the Sol class carrier is but a fraction of the Scutum class, they will perform valuable roles in the decades to come as more are addd to the fleet. These ships are generally regarded as invaluable in border patrols and typically act as flagships for border taskforces. Solaris class Frigates Number of Ships: 54 (8100 points) Cost: 150 points Main Armament: Scutum Defence system (100 points), 1 x 2 MK XVI SuperNova Plasma battery, 4 x 4 MK XVII Lance gun, MK XX Bolter/Tachyon PD The Solaris class frigates came into service around the same time as the Scutum class cruiser and is designed primarily to conduct independent border patorls and escort missions. Generally a versatile ship, the Solaris class frigates are frequently seen in the colony sectors, patrolling vigilantly against any Karlack or Bragulan incursion. Sharpshooter class Corvettes Number of Ships: 76 (5700 points) Cost: 75 points Standard corvettes with reconnaissance and fleet screening and escort duties, they were an upgrade from the previous ships, and production continues. Category:Byzantine Imperium Category:Space Navy